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Va Cemetery Jobs in Tennessee (NOW HIRING)

Va Cemetery information

What skills and qualifications are needed to work at a VA Cemetery?

To thrive as a VA Cemetery Worker, you typically need knowledge of grounds maintenance, landscaping, and basic equipment operation, along with a high school diploma or equivalent. Familiarity with tools such as mowers, trimmers, and scheduling or recordkeeping systems is often required. Strong attention to detail, respect for protocol, and sensitivity in interacting with grieving families are essential soft skills. These abilities ensure dignified grounds maintenance and respectful service for veterans and their families, reflecting the mission of the VA Cemetery.

What challenges do employees at a VA Cemetery face, and how can they be addressed?

Employees at VA cemeteries often encounter emotional situations as they interact with grieving families and ensure respectful ceremonies. Managing meticulous groundskeeping, handling administrative duties, and maintaining adherence to federal regulations can also be challenging. Building resilience, maintaining clear communication with team members, and utilizing available training resources helps staff manage these demands effectively while providing dignified service to veterans and their families.

What is a VA Cemetery?

VA Cemetery jobs refer to roles within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration. These positions involve maintaining national cemeteries, assisting with burials, providing support to veterans’ families, and ensuring that cemeteries remain dignified places of honor. Job titles may include cemetery caretaker, equipment operator, administrative support, and director roles. Employees play a crucial part in honoring the service and sacrifice of veterans and their eligible family members.

How do I get a job at a VA Cemetery?

To work at a VA Cemetery, candidates should review job openings on the official VA careers website or USAJOBS, which is the federal government's job portal. Requirements often include relevant experience, background checks, and sometimes certifications such as groundskeeping or funeral service credentials, depending on the position. Applying online and preparing a resume highlighting relevant skills is the standard process.

What is the difference between Va Cemetery vs Va Groundskeeper?

AspectVa CemeteryVa Groundskeeper
CertificationsMay require cemetery-specific licenses or certificationsTypically requires landscaping or groundskeeping certifications
Work EnvironmentIndoor and outdoor cemetery grounds, mausoleums, memorial areasOutdoor lawns, gardens, parks, and general grounds
Employer & IndustryFuneral homes, cemeteries, memorial parksMunicipalities, parks departments, private landscaping companies
Job FocusMaintaining cemetery grounds, assisting with burials, caring for memorialsMaintaining outdoor spaces, mowing, planting, landscaping

While both roles involve outdoor maintenance, a Va Cemetery focuses on cemetery-specific tasks like caring for memorials and assisting with burials, whereas a Va Groundskeeper handles general outdoor groundskeeping across various settings.

What are popular job titles related to Va Cemetery jobs in Tennessee? For Va Cemetery jobs in Tennessee, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What cities in Tennessee are hiring for Va Cemetery jobs? Cities in Tennessee with the most Va Cemetery job openings:
Infographic showing various Va Cemetery job openings in Tennessee as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 73% Full Time, 19% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 6% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution.

Administrative Officer

National Cemetery Administration

Chattanooga, TN • On-site, Remote

$61K - $97K/yr

Full-time

Posted 3 days ago

New


Job description

Summary
This position is located at the Chattanooga National Cemetery in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Learn more about this agency
Duties
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Provides for the budgeting and financial management for the organization. This includes budget formulations, justification, and execution; financial management; and financial reporting. Analyzes federal budget calls, reviewing guidelines and instructions. Briefs managers of schedules and data requirements. Assures all expenditures are properly authorized and documented. Manages procurement contracting for the cemetery. This may include preparing procurement requests, evaluating proposals for work, acting as COR for procurement, and/or maintaining procurement and contracting records. Prepares and reviews purchase orders for supplies and non-expendable property such as equipment, to include personal computer hardware and software and other specialized equipment necessary. Serves as a government purchase card holder, purchasing goods and services for cemetery operations according to VA Federal Acquisition Regulations.
Provides overall administrative management for the organization. This may include interpreting administrative policies, developing and implementing local policies, defining administrative requirements, and/or providing advice to management on related issues. Makes funeral arrangements, receives requests for burial of veterans and their dependents. Assures all cases are authorized prior to interment; attends and participates in committal services; processes headstones and markers for ordering and receipt. Performs public outreach as needed.
Performs public outreach as needed.
Work schedule: Required to work Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. May include occasional weekends. Due to the mission of the National Cemetery, the cemetery cannot be closed for more than 2 consecutive days at any given time. Additionally, when a Federal holiday falls on a Monday or Friday, staff may be required to work on that holiday or a Saturday. All staff is required to work Memorial Day and Veteran's Day each year. Staff will be required to work overtime, weekends and holidays when necessary to meet the needs of the cemetery. Occasionally staff may be called back to the facility to perform emergency overtime work.
Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available
Telework: Not Available
Remote/Virtual: This is not a virtual or remote position.
Position Description Title/PD#: Administrative Officer/PD1595556
The full performance level of this position is GS - 11. At the level GS-09, you will perform similar duties but under closer supervision.
Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.
Salary:
GS-09: $61,722 - $80,243
GS-11: $74,678 - $97,087
Relocation Expenses: Not Authorized
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required
If interested in applying for this position you ay preview the online application:
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13026905
Requirements
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Conditions of employment
  • Subject to a background/security investigation.
  • Designated and/or random drug testing may be required.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period.
  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all specialized experience and time in grade requirements within 45 days of the closing date of this announcement, 08/14/2026.
Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements within 45 days of the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If your most recent non-award SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional non-award SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one year time-in-grade.
Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.
  • Must possess and maintain a REAL ID compliant valid state driver's license.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education, as described below:
  • Specialized Experience GS-9: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: experience with personnel management, budget management, and office administration providing advice and assistance to managers and staff personnel process and procedures; assisting in staffing needs, recommending appropriate actions or suggesting alternatives; performing financial management work; managing procurement; tracking management of services and activities of work operations in a program or program support setting; preparing recurring and non-recurring statistical reports; conducts studies to collect data.

OR,
  • Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

OR,
  • Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education as described above. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)

  • Specialized Experience GS-11: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: experience with personnel management, budget management, and office administration providing advice and assistance to managers and staff personnel process and procedures; assisting in staffing needs, recommending appropriate actions or suggesting alternatives; performing financial management work; managing procurement; tracking management of services and activities of work operations in a program or program support setting; preparing recurring and non-recurring statistical reports; conducts studies to collect data.

OR,
  • Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M., if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

OR,
  • Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond the 36 semester hours of graduate education earned. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
Administration and Management
Managing Human Resources
Financial Management
Computer Skills
Communications
Analytical Thinking
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.
Physical Requirements: The work requires some physical exertion such as: long periods of standing, recurring bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, or reaching, or lifting moderately heavy equipment or other items weight less than 50 pounds.
Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
  • your performance and conduct;
  • the needs and interests of the agency;
  • whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  • whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Education
A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.
Additional information
Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.
The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Information about CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
Temporary employees may not eligible for all benefits.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.
For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.
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